Illogical
by FallenStar10
Summary: Mira is a Contractor, with orders to kill Hei. But when she gets the chance to, will she make a most illogical decision and risk everything? Rated T for safety.
1. Chapter 1

Hey guys. This is my first fanfiction, so I hope you like it. It's set before the first season starts.

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Mira crouched among the leaves, looking down on the park from high above. A single sword was concealed at her waist, and a gun loaded with vials of a red liquid was clenched in her left hand. She had been waiting for the past three hours, and was begging to think the more logical decision was simply to leave. But if she did that, she'd miss out on the fun. After all, it wasn't every day that one had an opportunity to kill the Black Reaper. It was even rarer to get to do it for money.

Her assignment had been simple, only a few whispered words shared between two people as they walked by each other: _Kill the Black Reaper._ Of course, it had been up to _her _to do all the research: the Organization not even bothering to give her a location. The information she'd found had put her just a bit on edge, which wasn't helping her to stay focused. If she was going to pull this job off, she'd need all her wits about her.

She fiddled with her Tangram while she waited, fitting the seven pieces into a square and then scrambling them again. Some people would tell her that solving the same puzzle every time was cheating her price, but she thought it was the simply most logical thing to do.

Footsteps sounded on the pavement below Mira's hiding spot and she jumped, dropping one of the wooden pieces. She swore, leaning over the branch to see where it had landed. The small triangle rested by the feet of a man in a long black trench coat. He looked up at her, his white mask standing out in the night.

Quickly Mira pressed herself against the tree trunk. The Black Reaper had come prepared. How had even known about her assignment? Mira shook her head. That didn't really matter now. He had already seen her. She'd just have to attack quickly.

Gathering her courage, Mira drew her sword and leapt to the ground, striking out at the spot where the masked man had been standing just a few moments ago. Her blade met only air and she overbalanced, falling forwards.

Something twisted around her neck, pulling tight. She spun, gasping for air, and brought her sword down across the wire that had ensnared her. The blade skittered off uselessly, and her sight began to turn blurry. Mira raised her gun, feeling almost blind. She had no idea where the vial would hit, but she didn't intend to die so easily. She squeezed the trigger.

The wire around her neck loosened, informing her that she'd hit her target. She pulled the line away easily. Her sight was clearing, but she couldn't see any sign of the Black Reaper. _That's not good._

A slight blue glow outlined Mira's body and her eyes sparked red as she tentatively reached out with her power. She could feel the pulsing of the vials, but nothing else. So the vial hadn't been able to inject its contents. Which meant that the Black Reaper was still somewhere in the darkness, most likely right behind her.

Pain lanced through her shoulder. She turned her head to see a blade protruding from the skin. A little voice hummed in her mind, _His power is electricity._ Mira tore the blade from her body seconds before it sparked with electricity. That had been far too close for her liking.

She barely had time to recover from the previous attack before the next came. There was suddenly an onslaught of blades and sharp-tipped wires, so rapid that Mira could only dodge. The Black Reaper was still hidden in the shadows. She wouldn't have been able to deliver a decent blow even if she hadn't been focused on dodging. There had to be some way to lure him out.

The next blow that came almost struck her in the chest. Mira moved to the side quickly, and the blade only tore the sleeve of her coat. That gave her an idea.

When the next attack came, Mira spun away, smashing a vial against the now exposed skin just above her collar bones. Shards of glass cut the skin, and a bit of blood mixed with the red liquid as it stained her shirt. In school, Mira had never been very good at acting, but hopefully she'd be able to pull this one off.

Mira dropped to her knees on the ground, hands going to the "wound" in her neck. She rolled onto her back, biting hard on her tongue as she did so. Blood trickled from the corners of her mouth and she coughed. It wasn't hard to make her breath uneven, and she hoped she was convincing. With all the experience Mira had with death, she should be able to fake it.

Just as she had hoped, the Black Reaper stepped out of the shadows, approaching slowly, preparing to finish her off. If her timing was even a second off, Mira would be dead for real. She wished she could glance to her right where the sword lay, even though she knew it was only a few inches away, and she would be able to reach it when the time came. Until then, every second felt like a life time.

Time continued its slow procession until the Black Reaper knelt just beside her, his hand just a few centimeters from her face. _Now._

Mira seized the sword, bringing it up behind the Reaper's back, and driving it downwards in one fluid motion. He staggered back, surprised by the sudden pain he felt. Mira, too, drew back, cradling her hand. She had accidently seized the sword's blade instead of the hilt, slicing her palm open in the process. Of course, the Black Reaper had gotten the worse end of it.

The blade protruded from his side, too low to have pierced any vital organs, and too far to the right to sever his spine. Still, it would impede him greatly. While he was still recovering from the shock of Mira's attack, she tore a strip from her shirt and wrapped it around her hand, wincing whenever she moved her shoulder. She was half-way finished when the Black Reaper attacked.

He had removed the sword, which lay off to the side. Blood was pouring from the wound, staining his clothes. Mira found the fact that he was standing amazing, and it was even more amazing that he still had the strength to attack. The attack had no power behind it, though, and Mira dodged easily.

It was time to finish this once and for all.

When he stumbled, Mira retrieved her gun from where she had dropped it after removing the bullet. There were only a few shots left, so she'd have to make them count. She whirled quickly, and fired as he fought to remain on his feet. The bullet hit him in the neck, but didn't tear his skin. Instead, the contents of the vial were injected into his bloodstream, and he finally dropped to his knees in the grass. He tried to rise, but only fell again.

Mira stalked over to him, and knocked him onto his back. To ensure that he wouldn't use his ability, Mira drove two sticks through his palms, pinning them down and causing him to wince in pain.

Slowly she reached out with her power, and felt the Black Reaper's mind within her grasp. She would have liked to take the time to figure out an interesting way to kill him, but she didn't have the time to. If she waited much longer he would just bleed to death, and that would be no fun at all. Instead, Mira settled on removing his mask to satisfy herself. Besides: she liked to see the faces of the people she killed.

She bent down and hooked her fingers under the mask, gathering her power together at the same time. With a single motion, she flicked the mask off, and began her attack. But suddenly she stopped, reigning her powers in before she harmed him. Mira didn't know what had made her stop, but suddenly she just couldn't bring herself to kill him.

He had slipped into unconsciousness, his eyelids slipping closed. It was odd how peaceful he looked, as if he were sleeping. Dark hair was plastered to his face with sweat. His lips were slightly parted, like someone having a dream. But that was impossible of course. Contractors never dreamed. Still. . . She couldn't let him die.

Mira pulled off her jacket, tearing it into strips. She kept a small first-aid kit in one of the pockets, which she removed. Inside were gauze pads, a suture and thread, as well as bandages. Mira carefully broke the remaining vials open, soaking up the alcohol inside them with a gauze pad. Gently she removed his shirt and disinfected his wounds. Suturing them shut would be far more difficult, seeing as Mira had no medical training whatsoever. Thankfully her hand didn't shake, and she closed both openings as well as she could. Mira bandaged the wounds quickly, using both the dressings from the kit and the strips she'd torn from her coat, and tying them tight. She pulled the sticks from his hands and bandaged those as well, before covering him with what was left of her coat.

Moving to the place where she'd dropped the small triangle of her Tangram set, Mira produced the other pieces, and fit them easily into a square. Finished with her payment, Mira pocketed the pieces and walked off, leaving the Black Reaper lying in the grass, his breath slowly becoming more even.

…


	2. Chapter 2

Hello! Here's chapter two-I hope you like it! I'm going to try to update at least once a week, preferably twice. Comments are much appreciated.

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The sun was just peeking over the Gate when Mira set out. She hadn't slept at all last night, too jittery from the battle to sleep. But now that her excitement was dying down, the toll of sleeplessness was begging to weigh heavily on her shoulders. _I need coffee._

Mira made her way towards one of the vending machines, head down, as if she was walking into a strong wind. She deftly inserted the money and pressed a button, not caring what she got, as long as it had caffeine. After a few sips she felt her body begging to hum again, a bit of energy returning to her limbs. She yawned, downed the rest of the coffee, and tossed the bottle in the trash before walking on.

Now that Mira was alert, thoughts crowded into every corner of her mind, vying for the attention they had been denied because of her sleepy state. How was she supposed to explain the Black Reaper's survival to the Organization? What would they say if they found out that she'd spared his life? It was thoughts like those that had kept her awake last night. Questions that she couldn't possibly answer, or was too afraid to. But she'd have to face the music soon, whether she was ready or not.

Honestly, Mira had no idea what had made her stop. She'd never hesitated to kill someone before. Contractors were emotionless, coldblooded murderers, who followed orders without question. There was no logical explanation for her behavior, and it was eating away at her. If only she could have a little more time to figure things out. . .

A decrepit old subway entrance squatted in front of her, the painted characters faded and peeling— her meeting place. Mira took a deep breath, organized her thoughts, and started down the stairs. There were no lights on the walls and Mira had to walk carefully lest she slip on the wet stone. A few more yards and there was a single shaft of light that came in from the ceiling where a sink hole had opened up a few years ago. Mira skirted around the rubble and dirt below it, moving farther underground.

Soon voices began to echo off the walls, mingling with the drip of water and squeak of rats. Mira listened for a few seconds, picking out the voices of two of her partners. It seemed like Mira wasn't the only one who had thought to arrive early. She still wasn't close enough to pick out individual words, but she could tell by their tone of voice that they were discussing something serious. _Odd,_ she thought. _They shouldn't have started without me._

Mira stepped onto the flat ground of a boarding platform and began hurrying towards the sound of voices. Her boot heels produced loud, resounding clicks. The voices paused and Mira ducked behind a wide pole, silently cursing herself for being so obvious. After a few minutes they began speaking again, but this time there was a third voice, one unfamiliar to Mira. Something was not right.

She pulled off her shoes and edged closer, keeping to the shadows. As soon as she got close enough to make out what they were saying, Mira stopped. Her breath sounded far too loud, so she held it. Never before had she hid from her own team.

"There's no choice," someone was saying. "An observation specter saw her last night. She didn't finish the job. She spared his life."

A different voice said something that Mira couldn't make out, and the third voice—the one Mira didn't know—replied. "No. Mira is disposable. I have already hired a Contractor to ensure that both she and the Black Reaper will be dead by tomorrow. He will not fail."

Before Mira knew it, she was running, back the way she had come. Even without shoes the sound of her feet slapping the ground was loud enough to alert the other people to her presence. One of them yelled something and a shot was fired. The bullet flew past Mira's face, grazing her cheek, and she screamed—something she had never done before.

The sharp report of gunfire filled the air as a volley was fired. Mira hit the ground just before the bullets flew through the air above her. Soon she was on her feet and running again. Shards of glass cut dug into her skin, slowing her down. She had dropped her shoes a ways back, and her gun was in her apartment. A bullet tore through her arm, but she kept running, blood soaking into her sleeve. They were gaining on her, and she had no way to defend herself.

Mira hit the stairs and almost tripped, her feet sliding on the wet surface. There was no way she'd be able to run up without falling. She didn't dare glance behind her, knowing all too well what she would see. _They're trying to kill me._ Life threatening situations were nothing new to Mira, but she had never imagined this scenario._ My own team is trying to kill me._

A shaft of light pierced the darkness up ahead, giving Mira an idea. Instead of swerving around it, Mira ran towards the rubble, climbing desperately up it. A few times she slid downwards and almost took a bullet, but eventually she scrambled the top. The opening was still far above, but she'd have to try.

Mira jumped, arms outstretched, reaching up towards the light. Her fingers caught on the edge, sending pain screaming through her injured arm. A piece of dirt broke off in her hand and she slipped, barely managing to grab back on. She was dangling high above the ground, her pursuers almost directly below her.

She kicked her feet, using the last of her strength to pull herself up. Her head emerged from the hole, then her chest and the rest of her torso. Mira scrabbled on the ground, digging her fingers into the dirt for anchorage, agony coursing through her body. Just as she got her right leg up a shot was fired from below. She pulled her other leg up quickly, but the bullet struck her calf. The pain was excruciating, and she almost slid back over the edge. But somehow she managed to bring the other leg up, and rolled onto her back.

For a few seconds Mira lay panting at the edge of the sinkhole, clutching her inured arm. Angry shouts echoed below and a few more shots were fired, but they all missed their mark. Slowly, painfully, Mira stood and began walking, her feet moving of their own accord. As she shuffled along like a zombie, there was only one thought in her mind.

_I have to find the Black Reaper._


	3. Chapter 3

The farther Mira walked, the more desolate the road began to seem, as if it was mirroring her own mind. Finding the Black Reaper had seemed simple at first, but now Mira had realized how little she actually knew. The research she had done would help her in a fight, but it was useless to track him down. If only she could access the Organization's classified documents. . .

Mira stopped abruptly, feeling exceedingly stupid. She had never remembered to return the flash drive holding her research documents. It was still sitting in her apartment, hidden away in the wall. For once her forgetfulness was advantageous. If she could get back to her apartment, she could plug the flash drive into her computer and hack into the classified documents. She looked at the street sign. Her residence was only a few blocks away. If she hurried, she could get there in only a few minutes.

She took off running, and went a few yards before her leg gave out. "Damn," she swore. There wasn't enough time to stop, but her injuries had to be bandaged. Mira hadn't brought her medical kit with her, so she tore strips off the bottom of her shirt. She tied the bandages tight, wincing as they pressed against her wounds. After a few minutes she was on her feet again, moving as quickly as she could towards her apartment.

People looked at Mira oddly as she ran by them, and a few tried to shove her. Someone bumped into her and she tripped onto the street. A car swerved to avoid her, crashing into another and blocking the road. The driver rolled down his window and cursed at Mira, but she didn't bother to turn around. She had already lost valuable time tending to her injuries. She couldn't let one angry motorist slow her down.

Soon Mira's residence came into view. Her apartment was only on the third floor, but it seemed like she was running up a thousand flights of stairs. She reached the top and pushed past a bewildered neighbor, who watched as she flew down the hall and stopped in front of number 303.

Mira rattled the handle and the door swung open, revealing what looked like a junkyard. The doors had been ripped off the cabinets, papers were strewn across the floor, and broken glass sparkled like fallen stars. Mira stepped over the threshold, eyes wide with disbelief. They had already been here. Now her one chance to find the Black Reaper may very well be gone. If only she'd gotten here sooner, she could have retrieved the flash drive before they ever arrived.

She shook her head, as if trying to clear spider webs. No. If she'd gotten back earlier, the Organization would have captured her, and she would have lost something far more important than a few documents. Besides, they might not have found the flash drive. She might still have a chance.

Shakily, Mira walked towards her bed, and pushed it aside. Her heart was hammering in her chest, but she couldn't discern why. She knelt down in front of the wall that had previously been hidden behind the head board. There wasn't a single hole, or even a scratch. Mira let out a breath that she hadn't realized she'd been holding, and slammed her fist through the wall.

The resulting space was too dark for her to see inside of. Mira slid her arm farther in, feeling around for the tiny object she'd hidden there. Her fingers bumped against something warm and furry. There was a brief pain as the rat drove its teeth into her finger, but it quickly disappeared as her hand closed around the flash drive.

Carefully she drew it out, uncurling her fingers so she could look at it. The simple black object was now speckled with blood, but it was otherwise undamaged. Mira breathed a sigh of relief, pocketed the flash drive, and walked out the door. Her computer had been wrecked during the Organization's raid, so she'd just have to find another one to use. . .

…

Mira walked by the café's window for what must have been the fifth time. She knew she was practically begging for suspicion, but a strange anxiety was thrumming through her veins and she just couldn't stay still.

For the past fifthteen minutes Mira had been watching one man seated in the corner of the café. He was working on a laptop, which Mira intended to use the moment he was distracted. He had downed about three cups of tea, so Mira was hoping he'd use the bathroom soon so that she could sneak in. Finally he got up, and Mira slipped inside. The café was filled with pleasant morning-smells that soothed Mira's nerves. She slipped into the man's vacant seat and plugged in her flash drive.

The man had been looking at stocks when he'd gotten up, and Mira skimmed through them while she waited for the documents to open. It was boring, of course, and she was glad when a window popped up, demanding that she enter the password. She entered the code quickly, and was soon skimming through document titles. Every one she clicked on opened without difficulty, and she closed them. The one she was looking for would _defiantly_ be locked by another passcode.

Mira clicked one randomly, and to her relief, she was asked to enter a security code. She thought for a few seconds, and quickly punched in 5643091. The window blinked red, and Mira became worried. The man whose computer she'd high jacked would be back soon. She typed in 5293750, and hit enter. The window blinked green, and Mira was almost tempted to cheer. But there wasn't time for that. She skimmed the document, reading only important information. She had just found his address when the man returned.

"What—You!" he yelled, addressing Mira, who jumped at the sound of the voice. "What the hell are you doing on my computer?!" Mira jumped up, ripping the flash drive out of the computer, and began to run. "Come back here!" the man yelled, chasing after her.

_Idiot,_ Mira thought. _What does he hope to accomplish by pursuing me?_ As Mira sprinted down the street, she began to wish she'd brought her gun with her. It would be much easier to lose this guy if she could just _force_ him to stop. Unfortunately, she couldn't. The only thing she could do was get to the address she needed as quickly as possible.

She found the apartment building easily, and found herself frantically running up stairs for the third time that day. When she reached the correct apartment, she discovered that the door was locked. Annoyance bubbled up inside her, but she suppressed it. Mira pulled a bobby pin from her hair and inserted it into the lock. After jostling it a few times she heard a click, and threw the door open.

The room she stepped into was completely empty, and for a second she was afraid she had the wrong address. But when she saw someone lying on the floor, her concern peaked. He couldn't be dead. There was no way the Organization could have found him this quickly without their precious documents.

Mira walked over to the Black Reaper—or Hei, if the documents were correct— and knelt down beside him. Relief rushed through her as she saw that he was breathing. It seemed like he was asleep. She placed one hand on his arm, but drew back, surprised by the heat of his skin. Perhaps her medical skills weren't as flawless as she'd thought. . .

Someone screamed outside, and Mira's attention was briefly diverted. She turned her head, but couldn't identify the source of the sound. When she looked back at Hei, his hand covered her face. Mira peered through his fingers. His dark blue eyes were open, and he was staring directly at her. A slight blue glow surrounded his body, but Mira was surprisingly calm. "Go ahead," she said. "Kill me." Hei's eyes narrowed. "Kill me, and I guarantee that someone else will kill you before I've even stopped breathing."

Another scream sounded outside, and then there was the sound of something heavy hitting the ground. It drew Hei's attention away, and Mira took the opportunity to wriggle free of his grasp. She leapt up and went to the door, easing it open.

The man from the café lay propped up against the railing, blood trickling from his eyes, nose and mouth. To his left stood two men, the shorter one still glowing faintly. The larger of the two turned to look at Mira. He smiled wickedly, displaying a mouth full of crocked, yellowing teeth. His eyes sparked red, and Mira was thrown back into the apartment.

She hit the wall forcefully, pain dancing through her head. Her vision began to blur along the edges. _I mustn't. . . close my eyes. . ._

…


	4. Chapter 4

**Warning: This chapter contains detailed descriptions of death.**

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Mira felt her consciousness begging to slip. Trying to stay awake felt like holding water, and having it trickle through her fingers. Darkness was slowly consuming her vision, adding a black vignette to the image before her. It felt like she was watching a tragedy play out before her, powerless to prevent the inevitable death of everyone involved. Desperately Mira ordered her body to move, but the orders weren't reaching their destination, and she only managed to moan softly.

A strange light began to grow at the edge of Mira's vision, combating the encroaching darkness. At first she was puzzled, her foggy mind not comprehending what was happening. It wasn't until an all-too-familiar wire wrapped around the large man's neck that Mira understood. "Hei," she managed to whisper.

The man's eyes glowed red and Hei hit the wall next to Mira, electricity crackling uselessly through the air as the wire was ripped from his hands. Mira tried to shift to make sure Hei was alright, but the movement sent pain lancing through her skull, and she slumped back to the ground.

Hei recovered quickly, lashing out at the man with blades and wires, using his ability whenever possible. At first the man seemed to be losing, the blades opening long gashes in his skin that oozed blood. The other man had disappeared, but it didn't matter at the moment. Mira felt herself beginning to relax, anticipating the battle's end. But when Hei stumbled, blood staining his clothes, Mira was instantly alert.

The man noticed it too, and seized the opportunity, pinning Hei up against the wall. The sight filled Mira with strength, and she finally managed to struggle to her feet. She spared a quick glance at the man. He was advancing slowly on Hei, his hand outstretched. He hadn't noticed Mira's movement, thankfully.

With much effort, Mira cleared her mind. She needed to find some kind of alcohol. If she could get it into the man's cuts, she could use her power. Mira staggered towards the kitchen, her head screaming in protest. With little grace she pulled open the cabinets, tearing through their contents until she found a single bottle of wine. She grasped the bottle's neck and pulled it out, sending a plate clattering to the floor. The sound of it shattering drew the man's attention.

Mira threw the bottle, silently praying that her aim would be good enough. The man pinned her up against the wall, her spine cracking painfully on the counter's edge. He wasn't fast enough to stop to bottle, though, and it shattered against his arm, shards of glass burying in his skin. Mira felt the sudden energy draining from her, her eyes slipped closed against her will. She didn't see the man wince in pain as the alcohol entered his cuts, making his skin sting.

The man took another step towards Hei, his hand contorting oddly. Hei cringed as the invisible force pressed down on his chest. One of his ribs snapped and he gasped in pain, much to his tormenter's pleasure. The man grinned wickedly, pressing harder.

Behind him, the smaller of the two men appeared in the doorway, and walked leisurely towards Mira, as if he were out for a morning stroll. When he reached her he put his hand over her face, and his body started to glow blue. Before the larger man could stop him, Hei shouted a warning to Mira. The man quickly pushed down on Hei's throat, silencing him, but Hei's call had been enough to wake Mira.

Her eyes snapped open and she pushed her attacker away, before kicking him where it hurts. The man dropped and Mira glowed, reaching out with her mind. Her glow began to spread to the larger man, and she forced him to drop his hand. Hei coughed and gasped for air, the choking pressure gone.

Mira's first instinct was to just kill the man on the spot, but then they would still have the other man to deal with. Instead she pulled his other hand away from her and onto his partner, who was thrown against the wall with a sickening crack. She moved forced the man forwards. He moved like a sleepwalker, his eyes wide in disbelief. His partner writhed as the pressure increased, his ribs snapping like toothpicks. Mira drove the man farther, her human emotions slipping away like silky clothes. The man's partner let out a garbled, inhuman scream as his organs ruptured, leaving a bloody, person-shaped blotch on the wall.

Now Mira turned her attention to the first man. He shook his head as if he could dislodge Mira from his mind, but she clung to him with the ferocity of a puma. Slowly, his hands raised, gripping his head just below the jaw bone. All of Mira's control had fled, leaving her with nothing but a hunger for blood. The man was shaking, much to Mira's delight. She tightened his grip, and began to pull upwards. His neck stretched and his face contorted in pain, but Mira kept going. Hei called out for her to stop, but the words seemed miles away.

With one final, violent tug, Mira forced the man to tear his head from his shoulders.

Blood splashed onto the floor, filling the air with a sharp metallic smell. Dizzy pride flooded Mira's senses like intoxication, and she grinned savagely. She reined her power in, releasing the man from her grip. He tipped over like a felled tree, blood flying like a tattered red flag. Upon hitting the ground the severed cranium rolled from the man's hands, bouncing across the floor like a morbid child's toy. It fetched up at Mira's feet. She played with it with her toe for a bit enjoying her triumph, before shakily sliding from the counter and approaching Hei.

Mira looked him over quickly. The only immediate problems she noted were his broken rib, and the wound in his side which had reopened. She pulled the ever-present first-aid kit from her pocket and bandaged his injuries to the best of her ability. Neither looked at the other, a chilly silence stretching between them. Mira broke it first.

"I need a new puzzle," she stated bluntly, rising to her feet. "Come with me if you can stand." With that she turned on her heel and disappeared out the door. Hei stared after her for a few seconds before following.

…


	5. Chapter 5

Mira knelt in the alleyway next to the toy shop, Hei standing next to her. She was working on her new puzzle, methodically trying different arrangements. Just a few minutes ago she had swept through the store like a cold front, her frigid attitude startling the woman behind the counter, who rushed to ring up her item and hurry her out of the store. Now, as she fit the wooden shapes together, she felt as though she was reassembling her humanity. _Yes, the heart goes there._ _No, the head isn't in the right place. You left the soul out._ Finally the pieces clicked, and with them her emotions came rushing back.

Guilt and disgust hit her full-force like a punch in the stomach. Mira retched unceremoniously behind a dumpster, seeing the dead men reflected on the backs of her eyelids. She remembered the feel of the severed head under her shoe and retched again, but there was nothing left. An aching hollowness filled Mira that had nothing to do with her now-empty stomach. It had been so long since she'd killed without hesitation, and reveled in the victory. It had been so long since she'd lost her emotions so completely. Mira knew what the scraped-out hollowness was. It was fear. Fear of herself.

_It's unnatural, _Mira thought._ It's unnatural for a contractor to feel emotions, to feel guilt._ Then why did she cling to her emotions like a drowning man to a line? Shaking, she wiped saliva from her mouth. Mira sighed. She had always been aware that she was different, but today it felt like her emotions were in overdrive. She took a deep breath, and turned around.

Hei was still standing by the mouth of the alley, discreetly watching the people as they passed by. Mira cleared her throat and he turned to look at her. "We'll have to find somewhere to stay," she said, her voice clipped. Deftly Mira bent to retrieve her puzzle, shoving the pieces into the pocket of her now blood-stained jeans, and began to walk off. Only once did she stop to look back, and found that Hei had not moved. She sighed irritably, an odd little hiss of air through her teeth. "Are you coming, or are you going to wait for more thugs to show up?" Mira stalked off, her shoes producing echoing thuds. Her cold poise was all a guise, though, and she was almost sure Hei knew that.

They emerged from the alleyway into a busy street. The crowd swirled around them, no one paying a second glance. Mira took the lead, searching for somewhere to spend the night, while Hei watched for possible threats. When he wasn't looking, Mira glanced back at him. Hei looked far more human than she did, and Mira felt a small hint of admiration spark to life inside her. She snuffed it out like a cigarette butt.

"Hey you!" someone called out, and Mira tensed. She kept walking forwards, her head down. "Yeah you!" the voice called again, and she heard someone pushing their way through the crowd. Mira picked up her pace. "Wait!" Finally Mira couldn't take it any longer. She turned her head just a bit, and froze. Shoving his way through the crowd was one of her old partners, Masato. His eyes lit with anger as they settled on her face. Against all better instinct Mira began to run, pushing people out of her way and effectively drawing more attention to herself.

A strong hand closed around Mira's wrist, gripping her with the force of a vice. Mira turned, her heart pounding in her chest, prepared to fight Masato off. Instead Mira found herself looking deep into Hei's midnight blue eyes. She allowed him to pull her away down an alley, feeling oddly grateful that he was leading her. Their feet pounded in unison on the stone, throwing up water when they struck puddles. Mira heard the sound of Masato's pursuit. The injuries from their earlier battle were slowing them down, and Masato would soon be upon them.

As they turned a corner, Hei pushed her roughly behind a dumpster. He stood facing the alley's mouth, feet planted wide. Masato tore around the corner, and skidded to a stop when he saw Hei. "Who are you?" Masato snarled. "Where's Mira?"

"That's none of your business."

Masato growled, low in his throat. "Get out of my way."

Hei didn't move.

"I said 'get out of my way!'" Masato ran at Hei, a sharp blade appearing in his hand as he did so. Mira almost cried out, but Hei's calm expression stopped her. He placed one hand over Masato's face, holding him back. The blade was too short, and Masato only managed to open a small cut before Hei killed him. Masato's eyes widened as the electricity coursed through his body, and his mouth opened in a silent scream. Hei pulled his hand back and Masato fell to the ground, like a tree.

Hei nodded at Mira and she emerged from behind the dumpster. She paused beside Masato's body and bent down to remove his coat. Mira stood up and held the article out to Hei. "Put this on." He eyed it skeptically and Mira frowned. "You're covered in blood. Now put it on." That wasn't strictly true, but Hei took it from Mira's hands and shrugged it on anyway.

Mira looked up at the buildings on either side of the alley. They were all abandoned, the windows smashed in, graffiti covering the sides. Rusted fire escapes led up the side, providing vagrants access to their interiors.

That gave Mira an idea.

She moved so that she was standing directly under one of the fire escapes, the rungs just above her head. Mira jumped upwards, catching the bar and wrenching her shoulder. The metal cut her palms, making them slippery with blood. She kicked her feet back and forth awkwardly, but managed to gain enough momentum to swing up onto the platform. Her heels struck the metal, sending clangs like broken chimes echoing down the alley.

Mira ran up the stairs, taking the two at a time. The hem of her shirt caught on the metal, tearing a seam open. Cold wind kissed the bare skin of her side, making her shiver. A few more flights brought her close enough to slip through a window and into the musty darkness. The glass of broken beer bottles crunched under her feet, and the whole place reeked of mold, but it was better than the streets. Mira poked her head out the window, gesturing for Hei to come up. He joined her in the small room a few minutes later.

Neither of them said a word aloud, silent messages telling the other what to do. Mira tore a small strip from her rapidly-shortening shirt, and Hei knelt down, pulling the coat and his shirt off. Mira took the coat and tore more strips from that, using them to bandage the reopened wound in Hei's side. If it brought back any unpleasant memories, neither Hei nor Mira showed it.

When she had finished, Mira began clearing the area of glass using her foot while Hei searched the building for any other "tenants." By the time he returned, the sky had grown dark. They lay down on separate ends of the room, as far away from each other as they could possibly get.

Mira shivered whenever a breeze blew through the window, and curled up tighter. For a few hours she tried to fall asleep, but to no avail. Eventually she gave up and just watched the stars. Seven fell that night. Seven lives that no one would miss or remember, and those that remembered them would be happy that they were gone.

…


End file.
